Last night, on Jackie Robinson Night at Nationals Park, I could not resist the temptation of going to my first game of the year. It was a beautiful night for baseball and I was hoping that the uniform number of 42 (that every player wore) would especially inspire the home town Nats to new heights. Unfortunately, the energy and spirit that propelled Jackie every day in his iconic 42 did not affect the Nats’ performance. The new, Harper-less version of the Nats seemed instead to be passive and lethargic.
The one point last night that brought the crowd to its feet was Trevor Rosenthal’s relief appearance in the eighth inning (Trevor is perhaps the only current Rosen-person in major league baseball). Fans cheered (and held back their boos) as he struggled with the control of his rocket-speed fast ball to lower his Earned Run Average from a titanic 72.00 to the low forties. He may have saved his career (for now) last night, and the fans welcomed his energy, effort, and flair for the dramatic.
Here’s hoping that the memories of Jackie’s greatness will soon propel the Nats to better nights ahead.
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